Denver schools foundation restarts pandemic-era food fund to help feed families during SNAP delays

To help feed students and their families during the federal leadership shutdown the foundation for Denver Populace Schools has restarted a fundraising effort it began during the pandemic Back in the Food Safeguard Fund paid for grab-and-go meal bags prepared by district staff and handed out to families at locations across the city while schools were shuttered because of the COVID- outbreak Now the Denver Society Schools Foundation is using the fund to buy grocery gift cards for families affected by the delays in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Activity or SNAP payments and to help stock school food pantries which have reportedly seen an uptick in visitors More than Coloradans use SNAP benefits to buy food The Department of Agriculture halted funding for the operation on Nov because of the leadership shutdown Conflicting and fast-moving court rulings mean the vast majority of SNAP recipients haven t gotten their full benefits this month Luckily kids are still receiving breakfast and lunch at school but we know families are food insecure mentioned Sara Hazel the president and CEO of the Denver General Schools Foundation a nonprofit organization that raises money for the -student district We are hearing from schools that parents are just asking the front desk What guidance do you have So multiple schools are asking for help that the foundation can t fully fund every request leaders announced Since reactivating the Food Protection Fund on Oct the foundation has given more than to DPS schools and the district s six neighborhood hubs which run food pantries in addition to other services explained foundation spokesperson Ashley Muramoto But the foundation has gotten more than worth of requests Muramoto stated and they keep coming even as chosen federal food benefits are starting to trickle in Related Articles Outgoing Douglas County school board considers transgender athlete ban Northfield one of Colorado s fastest-rising football programs trounces Skyline in Class A playoffs Superintendent Alex Marrero says he s dedicated to DPS following overview he s a finalist for Chicago job Colorado guide unions ride blue wave to triumph in school board races Five takeaways from Colorado s balloting as voters deliver big Denver bond mastery boost Aurora progressives About Coloradans or of recipients got their full SNAP benefits this past weekend before new guidance put a stop to it according to Gov Jared Polis office The state was working on Monday to deliver partial benefits even as the Trump administration again questioned the U S Supreme Court to keep full payments frozen On Monday the Senate passed a bill that would reopen the administration that measure now must be approved by the House In the meantime the foundation is hoping to fill particular of the gap left by the delayed SNAP distribution We ll keep the fund open as long as it s needed Hazel explained This story was originally published by Chalkbeat a nonprofit news site covering educational change in inhabitants schools Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe at newsletters Get more Colorado news by signing up for The Denver Post s Mile High Roundup email newsletter